The Emotions And The Plaudits Flow After 'The Best' World Cup

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: Matt Giteau of Australia receives treatment for an injury during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham Stadium on October 31, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Protocols to restrict potentially concussed rugby players returning to the field prompted a blow-up on the sideline between Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and player Matt Giteau, in their first major test.

Giteau's World Cup final was over fairly quickly on Saturday at Twickenham -- and he was not happy about it.

Suffering a knock to the head in the 25th minute of the game against New Zealand, Australia's Matt Giteau -- looking dazed and shaken -- walked from the field to undergo a mandatory concussion test. He was immediately ruled out for the rest of the match.

Giteau has had a dream year, returning to the Wallabies fold to become a key player and leader in the team's World Cup campaign -- something which was never on his radar just a year ago.

Cheika says however that it was out of his control and under the new World Rugby player welfare protocols regarding concussion there are independent medical staff who adjudicate any instances of head injury and their decision is not contestable.

"The medical referee made that decision, that's how he interpreted the situation. Gits gave me a gobful at half-time as to why he was off. But our hands are tied, there's nothing we can do about it," he said.

A report in the NZ Herald has raised questions as to whether Pocock, in attempting to extract his leg from McCaw's grip when the two were tangled in a ruck contest, has accidentally or deliberately made contact with the All Blacks captain's face.